India women's head coach Maymol Rocky said after the conclusion of Indian Women's League (IWL) that she will have a broader base of players to choose from.
"The number of players has increased. The competition is higher and I am really happy that I have got a bigger base of players to choose from. Once the tournament is over and we start our training camps, you will see a few new faces and youngsters, for sure," All India Football Federation (AIFF) quoted Rocky as saying.
Indian forward Bala Devi became the first female player from the country to get a professional contract with a European club - Rangers Women FC in Scotland.
"It is really good that Bala is playing in a higher competitive league in Europe, and it's good for us as well because she will come back and perform for us whenever she is required to," Rocky said.
"As far as the level of the IWL is concerned, yes, we will miss the likes of Bala and Dalima, who are playing abroad now. But I feel that a number of quality foreigners have also come in and made an impact on the league -- so we are also playing at a pretty high level now," she added.
Rocky feels that the final between Kryphsa and Gokulam Kerala, where most of the India internationals ply their trade, will be a tough one.
"If you see Kryphsa and Gokulam, most of their players are in the national team. So I feel that the match between these two sides will be a hard-fought one and I am looking forward to see how the players do. May the best team win!" she concluded.
( With inputs from ANI )